There’s no better way to learn than to throw yourself into your first project. After careful deliberation, I decided my first project would be transforming an old, well-worn paperback of mine into a beautiful hardback. One to be treasured for generations (perhaps a slight exaggeration!).


This was the book I chose, an old, battered, copy of Red Dwarf: Infinity Welcomes Careful Drivers by Grant Naylor. Chosen, not just because it’s a great book, but also because I have two paperback copies!
With my project decided, the next step was figuring out how to actually do it. I have many books on how to make books, but none on how to convert a paperback to a hardback, so I turned to YouTube. I found a brilliant video from a channel called ‘Extra Cozy DIY.’ The step-by-step instructions were clear and approachable, exactly what I needed as a complete beginner
Step one: remove the cover. With one careful cut, I was committed—there would be no going back now.

Step two: add new endsheet. Didn’t seem too hard, may need more practice at cutting but we got there. Now to leave it in a press for an hour. (I don’t have a press as of yet, so managed to improvise using wood and clamps)
This is how it looked after spending just over an hour in the “press”.

Step three: adding fabric to strengthen the spine. I probably over glued this one and made a bit of a mess, luckily it wont’ be seen in the end product! Something to remember for next time.


Step four: cutting the boards. I’ll admit, it was a bit fiddly! Getting the measurements just right and keeping everything neat took some patience. That said, I can already see myself improving when it comes to handling a knife and ruler. There’s something really satisfying about seeing each piece come together just right!


Step five: cutting the fabric and sticking it to the boards. Now this was incredibly fiddly and I can now see why having some scrap paper underneath the boards when gluing them may have solved the “glue all over my cutting board” issue! That being said, apart from a few choice swear words I managed to get the fabric attached to the boards neatly, without any disasters.




Step six: Putting the book as it is currently in my makeshift press for a while. I don’t currently own a proper press but have managed to cobble something together that involves two bits of wood and some clamps. Seems to do the job!

Thats all for today, next time I will continue with the instructions and add some decoration to the cover before attaching it to the book.